Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Garlic and Rosemary

Slow-cooked to rich, pull-apart tenderness, this slow-roasted lamb shoulder brings restaurant-quality comfort straight from your kitchen oven to the dinner table.

Butcher’s Tip: When cooking a boneless rolled lamb shoulder, leave the butcher string intact during the entire roasting process. Because the bone has been removed, the string keeps the shoulder neatly bound into a uniform cylinder, ensuring the meat cooks evenly throughout rather than drying out at the thinner edges. Look for a rolled shoulder with generous intramuscular fat – as it slow roasts, this fat renders inward through the layers of the roll, naturally basting the meat from within and yielding an exceptionally moist, succulent finish.

• Serves: 6-8 people

• Prep time: 20 mins

• Cook time: 3 hours 30 mins

Ingredients List

• 1 Woods Butchery Rolled Lamb Shoulder (approx. 1.4 kg – 2.0 kg)
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into thin slivers
• 1 whole head of garlic, sliced in half horizontally
• 1 bunch fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 1 bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp sea salt flakes
• 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 2 brown onions, peeled and cut into thick wedges
• 2 carrots, washed and cut into chunky pieces
• 500 ml low-salt beef or lamb stock
• 30 g unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour

Method

1. 1. Prep the aromatic paste: Preheat your oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). In a small bowl, combine the chopped rosemary, thyme leaves, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper to form a coarse herb rub.

   2. Stud the shoulder: Use a small, sharp paring knife to make deep 2 cm slits between the loops of butcher string all over the rolled shoulder. Insert a sliver of fresh garlic into each cut, pushing it deep into the meat to infuse flavour directly into the core. Rub the herb paste thoroughly over the entire exterior of the rolled shoulder.

   3. Build the roasting bed: Arrange the onion wedges, carrot chunks and the halved garlic head across the base of a heavy-bottomed roasting pan. Pour the stock around the vegetables, then place the rolled lamb shoulder directly on top of the bed.

   4. Slow roast: Cover the roasting pan tightly with a double layer of aluminium foil to lock in moisture. Roast in the preheated oven for 3 hours.

   5. Crisp the fat cap: Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 200°C (180°C fan-forced), and roast uncovered for an additional 30 minutes until the exterior fat cap is deeply browned and crispy.

   6. Rest and snip string: Transfer the roasted lamb shoulder to a warm platter, tent loosely with foil and allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes. Snip and remove the butcher string just before carving or pulling apart with forks.

   7. Make the pan gravy from scratch: Strain the pan drippings through a fine-mesh sieve into a measuring jug, discarding the spent vegetable solids while skimming off excess surface fat. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the plain flour for 1 minute to form a smooth roux. Slowly pour in the strained pan drippings, whisking constantly until smooth. Bring to a simmer and stir until the gravy thickens into a rich, savoury glaze.

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